


Mystery and Romance (The Four Arcs of Sherlock)

by ArchipelagoArchaea



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M, Meta, TJLC | The Johnlock Conspiracy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 21:35:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3265148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchipelagoArchaea/pseuds/ArchipelagoArchaea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A writer's-perspective character and structure analysis of BBC Sherlock demonstrating the existence of a romantic arc between John and Sherlock. Long but not at all formal. Not as boring as it sounds. There's jargon, but it's explained. This will ultimately be part of a series of metas, but to me it's the most solid and most important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

[11/22/15: Edited substantially for clarity but not, I think, any changes in meaning.]  
  
This is, for lack of a better term, my magnum opus. It’s rather long, so it's probably easiest to read here on AO3, rather than [Tumblr](http://archipelagoarchaea.tumblr.com/post/109465976878/the-four-arcs-of-sherlock). While I have a number of shorter and more widely read metas, this is the one that I am most sure of (at least in terms of generalities). It started as an attempt to describe my feelings on how the structure of BBC Sherlock pointed to eventual canon Johnlock, but in the process of researching Three Act Structure and romantic arcs I found a lot more than I bargained for. Namely, that BBC Sherlock follows Three Act Structure _very_ closely — twice.  
  
It is split into two sections: **Characterization and Romance** , which introduces broadly recognized terms used in describing character arcs and applies them to John and Sherlock, and **Structure and Arcs** , which describes Three Act Structure and how it applies to BBC Sherlock.

I went back and forth so much with [mild-lunacy](http://tmblr.co/m1by8C3ssqOv-Cw7ZwgFKGA), including a beta read, that she probably deserves second author or something. ♡

_**Characterization and Romance** _

I won’t be doing a lot of character analysis here because that would detract from the message, so please understand that I’m only using _simplified_ personality descriptions so this is easy to follow. Obviously there’s considerably more complexity than I can feasibly go into without obscuring my point (though not enough to actually _detract_ from it). To start with, I’m going to go through some basic character arc concepts, because they’ll be necessary to understand the structure (from [Janice Hardy’s Fiction University](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html)). I’ll be using Sherlock’s character arc for illustration as it’s fairly obvious and heavily foreshadowed.

> **Longing or Need: The thing the character longs for or needs in the story.**
> 
> Hague describes the longing as the desire the character is aware of, wishes for, and could change if they actually acted, but they never do. The need is the thing that will make their life better, but they don’t know they need it yet. They can’t identify what’s “missing” though they know something is and that makes them unhappy. ([x](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html))

So, for Sherlock we have a Need that he does not recognize: the need to integrate mind and body in pursuit of a loving relationship and healthy lifestyle, rather than repressing significant portions of his physical and emotional self to protect his capacity for rational thought.

> **Wound: A past wound or hurt that is a current unhealed source of pain.**
> 
> Can you say backstory? Something bad happened in the protagonist’s past that affected them so profoundly it shaped them as a person, and still influences their decisions and actions today. Talk about character motivation. ([x](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html))

A Wound could be as broad as one’s upbringing or as targeted as a traumatic mistake. The author must know the wound for the sake of consistency (or at least its nature), but the audience can be exposed in tiny flashes of insight, _as long as there’s something_. In Sherlock’s case we have several hints at this wound: Sebastian Wilkes’ stories about Sherlock being awkward and hated at their university, Mycroft’s allusions to their apparently lonely childhood and his own influence, and vague references to Redbeard, apparently the much-beloved family dog.

> **Belief: What the character believes due to the wound. How it shapes their worldview.**
> 
> Now we’re talking serious point of view filters. Whatever happened to your protagonist, the thing that shaped them, was so profound it created an entire belief system for them. This is the filter through which the protagonist sees the world. Their past experience (the wound) colors how they view their current life. They’ll make decisions based on or influenced by this belief. ([x](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html))

This one’s easy. Sherlock believes that ‘sentiment is a chemical defect found on the losing side.’ Emotion, and particularly romantic sentiment, is a destructive force, and accepting it into his life would destroy his intellectual faculties and put him at risk for serious pain, with little in the way of reward. He views digestion as an impediment to thinking, and generally avoids bodily needs as much as possible. He also seems to believe himself unlovable, as evidenced by his surprise that Molly (or anyone else) is seriously interested in him.

> **Fear: What terrifies the character emotionally; some version of experiencing that wound pain again.**
> 
> This is another way of saying “stakes.” This is the hard part in many inner conflicts because it’s not always clear what’s at stake. This format helps you figure out what the protagonist is afraid of experiencing again. They’ll do anything to prevent that. ([x](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html))

 

[Jami Gold](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-are-these-characters-the-perfect-match/) gives us some ideas for fears in a **romance** :

 

> Wait… Our strong heroes and heroines start off living in fear? Yep. Maybe they fear their secret getting out, maybe they fear losing control (often to their emotions), maybe they fear rejection. We all fear something and so do our characters. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-are-these-characters-the-perfect-match/))
> 
>  

Cough. Sherlock fears losing control of his emotions — thereby making mistakes — and being vulnerable to mockery and rejection: 

> SHERLOCK: Always been able to keep myself distant ... _(he takes another drink from the glass)_ ... divorce myself from ... feelings. But look, you see ...
> 
> _(He holds up the glass and glares at his shaking hand.)_
> 
> SHERLOCK: ... body’s betraying me. Interesting, yes? Emotions. _(He slams the glass down onto the table.)_ The grit on the lens, the fly in the ointment.
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/28518.html))

Interesting that he uses the word ‘emotions’ when, in context, he’s talking about doubting his own senses. (Hint: this is deliberate.) He also fears losing his tight control over his body and its functions, his body ‘betraying’ him. (Notice that bodily needs like hunger are frequently used on the show as metaphors for sexual attraction, so this is roughly the same issue.) This leads to the development of his Identity.

> **Identity: The false self the character presents to the world. The emotional armor that protects from the fear, created by the belief, that came from the wound.**
> 
> This is where it gets fun. A character’s identify [sic] is what they want everyone to see. […] It's the wall they’ve built to keep people from seeing the real them, the person who was hurt so long ago and still feels that pain. How they show themselves to the world. ([x](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html))

Sherlock puts up the façade of the self-proclaimed ‘high-functioning sociopath’. He tells himself and the world that he _has_ no emotions to manipulate or hurt, and that he has complete control of his body. He is a clever brain, and the rest is ‘just transport’. Note that the character _frequently believes_ the Identity is their true self, even though they’re wrong. This is our starting point in a character arc. Remember that Sherlock's problem is a _need,_ so he self-medicates his deficiencies through drug use, including nicotine. 

> **Essence: What lies under all the emotional armor. The real self.**
> 
> And here’s the finish line for that character arc. This is the person the character truly is or wants to be. They discover who they are over the course of the story by what they experience. By the end of the story, they make a choice/realize/come to accept this and act in a way that allows them to win. (The acceptance of the essence is often what allows them to figure out the plot piece they need to win in the climax, so this is closely linked to the plot arc) ([x](http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/08/the-inner-struggle-guides-for-using.html))

And here’s the _goal_ of our character development arc. For Sherlock, it’s the deeply emotional man who is not only capable of love, but of safely integrating his mind with the messier side of being human: love, sex, hunger, and so forth [1]. He’s not _there_ yet — we haven’t reached the end of the arc — but by the end of his arc he will have learned to accept his Essence and reject his Identity without destroying his capacity for ‘cold hard reason’, and it will probably be the key to defeating Moriarty.

But Sherlock’s arc is the _easy_ character development arc to tease out. If you ask someone to describe a character arc in the show, his is the one they’d probably pick. The show all but drops anvils on our heads in case we’re not paying attention:

 

> LESTRADE: And because Sherlock Holmes is a great man. And I think one day, if we’re very, very lucky, he might even be a good one. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/42853.html))

There’s a tendency, in fact, to see Sherlock as part of a long-running character arc and John as more or less static. This is a mistake. The more _subtle_ character development arc is John’s, which isn’t surprising given that it’s strongly tied to the rather obfuscated _romantic_ arc, but it’s absolutely there. And it _has_ to be, or there wouldn’t be a romance. 

Part of the reason John’s arc is more difficult is that — while Sherlock’s arc is _driven_ by their love — John’s is _defined_ by it. Take away the romance and that love loses a dimension — the tension, the miscommunication, and the distrust make little sense without romantic attraction. Besides being obfuscated by romantic distractions like Irene and Mary (and sometimes Molly), John’s arc is complicated by depression (after his discharge from the army, and later after Sherlock’s death) as well as the use metaphorical stand-ins like ‘tradition’ that aren’t technically out-of-character for his Essence, but still used to represent his Identity.

 

**John's Need/Longing**

John has two aspects to his arc: his Need for adventure and utility and his Longing for Sherlock. The Need is more openly acknowledged ( _A Study in Pink_ ):

> M: Your therapist thinks it’s post-traumatic stress disorder. She thinks you’re haunted by memories of your military service.
> 
> _(John almost flinches as the man accurately fires off these facts at him. His gaze is fixed ahead of him and a muscle in his cheek twitches repeatedly.)_
> 
> JOHN _(angry and distressed)_ : Who the hell _are_ you? How do you know that?
> 
> M: Fire her. She’s got it the wrong way round. You’re under stress right now and your hand is perfectly steady.
> 
> _(John’s eyes flicker down towards his hand before returning to stare ahead of himself, his face set and struggling to hold back his anger.)_
> 
> M: You’re not haunted by the war, Doctor Watson ... you miss it.
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43298.html)]

 

In the same conversation, a reference to his Longing:

> M: What is your connection to Sherlock Holmes?
> 
> JOHN: I don’t have one. I barely know him. I met him ...
> 
> _(He looks away thoughtfully, then appears surprised as if he hadn’t realised until now how little time has passed.)_
> 
> JOHN: ... yesterday.
> 
> M: Mmm, and since yesterday you’ve moved in with him and now you’re solving crimes together. Might we expect a happy announcement by the end of the week?
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43298.html)]

 

Mycroft (as played by the show runner) certainly has John’s number. These comments are reinforced by the [conversation at Angelo’s](http://archipelagoarchaea.tumblr.com/post/106877126403/the-gay-jokes-of-bbc-sherlock), in which John is overly interested in Sherlock’s romantic life, and by the end of the episode:

> SHERLOCK: Are you all right?
> 
> JOHN: Yes, of course I’m all right.
> 
> SHERLOCK: Well, you _have_ just killed a man.
> 
> JOHN: Yes, I ...
> 
> _(He trails off. Sherlock looks at him closely.)_
> 
> JOHN: That’s true, innit?
> 
> _(He smiles. Sherlock continues to watch him carefully.)_
> 
> JOHN: But he wasn’t a very _nice_ man.
> 
> […]
> 
> SHERLOCK: Dinner?
> 
> JOHN: Starving.
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43298.html)]

 

In case you’re wondering why I’m tagging these specific quotes as romantic, here’s _A Scandal in Belgravia_ , which most of the audience is misled into thinking is a love story between Sherlock and Irene:

> SHERLOCK: You’re very calm.
> 
> _(She looks round at him blankly.)_
> 
> SHERLOCK: Well, your booby trap _did_ just kill a man.
> 
> IRENE: He would have killed me. It was self defence in advance.
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26397.html)]

Note that Irene loses in this comparison; John was protecting Sherlock from a serial killer, and shrugs off the death as necessary. He waited, in Sherlock’s words, ‘until [Sherlock] was in immediate danger, though, so strong moral principle’. Irene, meanwhile, shrugs off a man’s death by her device because it benefited _her_. Never mind that John was the one in direct danger [2]. She also uses ‘dinner’ as a metaphor for romantic/sexual interest:

> IRENE: “Good morning”; “I like your funny hat”; “I’m sad tonight. Let’s have dinner” ...
> 
> _(John looks round at her, startled.)_
> 
> IRENE: ... “You looked sexy on ‘Crimewatch’. Let’s have dinner”; “I’m not hungry, let’s have dinner”.
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26848.html#cutid1)]

 

Which John does _not_ like:

> _(John stares at her in disbelief.)_
> 
> JOHN: You ... flirted with Sherlock Holmes?!
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26848.html#cutid1)]

 

**John's Wound**

Moving on, John’s Wound is his discharge from the army, which deprived his life of purpose and may have even cost him love (he clearly cares about Sholto deeply), as well as his history with his family, specifically his sister Harry, whom he seems to find emotionally untrustworthy:

> MIKE: Couldn’t Harry help?
> 
> JOHN _(sarcastically)_ : Yeah, like _that’s_ gonna happen!
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43794.html)]

 

And:

 

> MARY: So, Harry?
> 
> JOHN: Er, no. No show.
> 
> MARY: Darling, I’m so sorry.
> 
> JOHN: It was a bit of a punt asking her, I suppose. Still, free bar – wouldn’t have been a good mix.
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/65379.html)]

 

Clearly, John doesn’t find it easy to trust people with his emotions:

> JOHN _(pointing to Ella’s notepad on her lap)_ : You just wrote “Still has trust issues”.
> 
> ELLA: And you read my writing upside down. D’you see what I mean?
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43794.html)]

 

**John's Belief**

His Belief, then, is that people are emotionally untrustworthy and will disappoint you given the chance, and that emotional openness is a great risk with little reward. His Fear is two-fold: he fears being useless (as when he was discharged, or when Sherlock left him out of dangerous casework), and he fears being emotionally vulnerable to people. His Identity, therefore, avoids emotional openness at all costs, even to the extent of outright _lying_ :

> ELLA: How’s your blog going?
> 
> JOHN: Yeah, good. _(He clears his throat awkwardly.)_ Very good.
> 
> ELLA: You haven’t written a word, have you?
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43794.html)]

 

**John's Identity**

In his Identity, John says what needs to be said to avoid conflict and unwanted attention and thus seem to be emotionally invested even when he’s not, and he maintains a pretense of heterosexuality (never explicit) because it’s emotionally safer. For example, we know that Sherlock has read John’s poetry to his girlfriends, but we _also_ know that John is a very inattentive boyfriend, to the extent that he mixes up his last two girlfriends in _A Scandal in Belgravia_. Clearly he wasn’t emotionally invested in his poetry, but he _wrote it anyway_. His girlfriends serve more as a cover for his relationship with Sherlock than serious love interests. His Identity also fails to pursue what he really needs — adventure — though he allows it to come to him.

 

**John's Essence**

John’s Essence, finally, is deeply connected to Sherlock, both emotionally and physically. He actively pursues both the adventure Sherlock provides and a close relationship: the closer he gets to Essence, the more direct his emotional overtures, from having dismissed ‘friend’ with ‘colleague’ in _The Blind Banker_ (Identity) to outright calling Sherlock one of ‘the two people I love and care about most in the world’ in _The Sign of Three_ (mostly Essence). A complete arc from Identity to Essence won’t end with John being open with _everyone_ , but he must be emotionally intimate with Sherlock, openly (though not loudly) bisexual, and slightly less repressed in general. It also means accepting that an addiction to adventure is simply part of who he is. 

In _A Study in Pink_ , Sherlock asks John if he’s seen a lot of injuries and violent deaths and trouble. John responds with the answer appropriate to his Identity:

 

> JOHN (quietly): Of course, yes. Enough for a lifetime. Far too much. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43794.html))

 

Then upon prodding by Sherlock, admits to his Essence

 

> SHERLOCK: Wanna see some more?
> 
> JOHN (fervently): Oh God, yes. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/43794.html))

The context is very misleading, but Sherlock is technically also right when he says, ‘You’re abnormally attracted to dangerous situations and people.’ John’s ideal lifestyle is physically dangerous. What Sherlock fails to point out (because it would obviously preclude Mary, whom he is trying to placate) is that John also needs _emotional safety_. He needs people he can trust, who will tell him the truth rather than wrapping him up in wool. And while Sherlock has had issues with this in the past, he’s also had a very thorough emotional arc that’s solving those issues. Mary, on the other hand, would sooner _kill Sherlock_ than tell John the truth about who she is. And when she _does_ hand him the flash drive supposedly detailing her past, she tries to guilt him into not reading it. Mary’s not very interested in John knowing her true self (which we’ll see in a minute is _very_ important, even outside the context of John’s Fear).

**Fear and Fatal Flaws**

Unsurprisingly, the Identity-based flaws that so often get our protagonists in trouble are based on their _Fears_. In Sherlock's case, we have a fear of vulnerability and losing his touch. Thus, his Fatal Flaw is placing too much self-worth in his intellect: withholding information for the sake of showing off, not trusting John's affection for him in the absence of brilliance, and wanting 'everything to be clever'.

John’s Fatal Flaw is his _inability to communicate directly_ (due to fear of rejection), his overly subtle emotional approaches that fly right over Sherlock’s head and lead to things like Sherlock walking away mid-emotional-confession because he thinks John is only talking about Mary [3]. Thus his character arc is tied not so much to the mystery plot but to the _romance_. It will end when he is comfortably and openly in a romantic relationship with Sherlock, no longer pretending to care about things like babies and retirement, and no longer pretending he is not wholly in love with a madman. There’s no wonder so many people don’t notice John’s arc; they’d have to notice the _love story_ first. Note that Sherlock’s own Identity, while ultimately being an impediment to solving his problem with Moriarty, is _also_ a romantic obstacle and heightens John’s Fear. Naturally.

There’s poetic irony here: the man who sees through everything is blind to his own artifice, and the man who can face a demon dog with a steady hand is too fearful to look love in the face.

 

**Characterization and Romance**

Identity and the Essence are actually how a good love story is conveyed. From Jami Gold (words in brackets are my own addition):

> A character should fall in love not because the plot needs them to, but because the other character sees behind the mask [Identity] they present to the world and accepts them/loves them back for who they _really_ are [Essence].
> 
> This goes in the other direction too. A character will fall in love with the potential they see in the other character. They see who the other character can become and will fall for _that_ person, even if the character isn’t quite there yet.
> 
> In other words, characters will seem right for each other, even destined for each other, if they connect on the level of their inner “essence.” That deep connection gives them motivation to pursue the relationship. 
> 
> ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-an-antidote-to-love-at-first-sight/))

John is the only person we know of who loves Sherlock for who he really is, whether that’s childish and petulant and vulnerable or mercurial and witty and brilliant[4]. Irene mocks his vulnerability, and Molly dislikes his acerbic humor and slaps him around for succumbing to drugs. Similarly, Sherlock is the only person who sees through to the real John — actively _deducing_ him — and likewise loves him for it. In comparison, Mary mocks John for pursuing adventure on his own, and shows no respect for his judgement.

How do we _show_ this love and devotion when one or both characters is in denial or even deliberately hiding their feelings?

 

> As I’ve mentioned, much of a character’s struggle might happen on the subconscious level. So how the heck do we show this essence-to-essence connection between the couple? Easy.
> 
> •     The characters should become closer (intimacy/love scene/etc.) after they’ve taken an emotional risk—unwittingly showing their essence.
> 
> •     The characters should have more conflicts and fights after they’ve retreated behind their armor.
> 
> ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-are-these-characters-the-perfect-match/))

John offers his life for Sherlock and Sherlock shows his hand — stammering about John being ‘all right’ — in _The Great Game_. Together, they agree to die if necessary to stop Moriarty. In the next episode they’re practically living in each other’s pockets. We see them eating breakfast together, holding a Christmas party together, and so on. Sherlock plays the violin for John. Sherlock complains about John leaving him for Christmas. John’s own girlfriend claims he’s a better boyfriend to Sherlock than to her. In _The Hounds of Baskerville_ Sherlock admits John is his only friend and they make up after their fight. It sticks even when John finds out that Sherlock was the one who trapped him in the lab.  In the much-maligned train scene in _The Empty Hearse_ , Sherlock exposes himself to beg John’s forgiveness. Once he’s got it, he reveals that he lied about not being able to turn off the bomb[5], but the apology was real. In turn, John exposes himself as a man that appreciates Sherlock’s dark sense of humor and his willingness to force John into a situation wherein he must confront his feelings honestly. It’s completely inappropriate, and certainly not a model of where they’ll eventually be, but it’s what John secretly wanted because John’s not ready for direct communication yet, and nor is Sherlock. At this point they’ve both revealed their Essence to each other, so what follows is reconciliation. It’s definitely not full Essence yet, but there’s a very good reason we couldn’t have that ‘proper reunion’ yet: we haven’t even reached the Crisis, much less Climax or even the Midpoint of their romance. More on that later. John admitting that Sherlock is one of the two people he ‘loves and cares for most in the world’ leads to Sherlock basically sacrificing his work to make John’s wedding as successful as possible.

  
On the flip side, Sherlock mocking his own emotions in _The Hounds of Baskerville_ leads to a fight, and John complaining about his description in the papers and refusing to voice his feelings for Sherlock in _The Reichenbach Fall_ encourages Sherlock to believe it’s a good idea to leave him behind (while Sherlock’s decision to leave John behind, despite his feelings, makes John rightfully furious). Likewise, his decision to ignore his feelings for Sherlock and marry Mary (and Sherlock’s decision to not face his feelings for John) leads to Sherlock retreating into drugs and his ‘sociopath’ façade, causing a rift. John demands to know why Sherlock didn’t come to him instead of retreating, but also tries to hide his discomfort with his new domestic lifestyle, leading to more friction with Sherlock:

 

> JOHN: If you were anywhere near this kind of thing again, you could have called, you could have talked to me.
> 
> SHERLOCK: Please do relax. This is all for a case.
> 
> _(Mary, still wrapping Bill’s arm, shakes her head.)_
> 
> JOHN: A ca... What kind of case would need you doing this?
> 
> SHERLOCK: I might as well ask you why you’ve started cycling to work.
> 
> JOHN _(shaking his head)_ : No. We’re not playing this game.
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/67234.html))

So where do John and Mary fit with these Identity/Essence romantic cues? Short answer: like a protagonist and his [Romantic False Lead](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RomanticFalseLead). _His Last Vow_ tries to throw us off the scent when Sherlock tells us that John is ‘attracted to dangerous people and situations’, but then goes on to say that this is why he chose Mary. ‘It’s what you like,’ she says. But that’s an oversimplification of John’s desires, and not actually what we saw. What we _saw_ was John choosing Mary in _The Empty Hearse_ in order to live out his Identity, in rejection of his adrenaline-addicted, darkly humorous (and in-love-with Sherlock) Essence as represented by Sherlock and Sherlock’s death. Her personality may have been sharp and darkly humorous, but in terms of her role Mary represents _tradition_ : heterosexuality, the wife and 2.5 kids in the suburbs, the wedding proposal at a fancy restaurant, and even the boring suburban job where they met. In other words, the kind of person who presumably won’t fake her death or otherwise hold deep, dark secrets. ‘She wasn’t supposed to be like that.’ This is in response first to the loss of everything he ever wanted in Sherlock, then to Sherlock’s fake death (and the train car stunt) confirming John’s fear that Sherlock is incapable of true love and affection or at least incapable of a relationship.  She is John’s Identity embodied and his dark mirror, as Moriarty is Sherlock’s. In case we’re tempted to believe otherwise — the show is full of misdirection — _The Sign of Three_ shows her demanding tradition in spite of John’s discomfort:

> John points at the screen.
> 
> JOHN: Does it have to be on the invitation?
> 
> MARY: It’s your name.
> 
> (She, John and Sherlock are in 221B’s living room looking at the laptop.)
> 
> MARY: It’s traditional.
> 
> SHERLOCK (simultaneously): It’s funny.
> 
> (John looks round at Sherlock while Mary bites back a smile.) 
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/66485.html))
> 
>  

While Sherlock clearly _isn’t_ a fan of tradition:

> SHERLOCK (quick fire): Well, they’re not actually telegrams. We just call them telegrams. I don’t know why. Wedding tradition.
> 
> (He lifts the first card.)
> 
> SHERLOCK (sarcastically): ... because we don’t have enough of _that_ already, apparently. 
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/65379.html))

Mary, for her part, behaves rather paternalistically toward John. She considers him incapable of handling the truth, and treats his work with Sherlock — work that is fundamental to his sense of purpose — like a childish adventure game. Something that’s ‘cute’ when it doesn’t get in her way, but irritating when it [seemingly] leads to him craving Sherlock’s company over hers. Clearly, she underestimates him. And whereas Sherlock admires John’s cockiness and gazes at him like the most amazing person on the planet whether he’s saving lives with gun ( _A Study in Pink_ ) or medicine ( _The Sign of Three_ ), Mary sneers at what she sees as hubris ( _His Last Vow_ ).

John _did_ love Mary, but he fell in love with a shadow: the nurse who — in ways we’re not privy to — supported him in his grief, teased him about his relationship to Sherlock but _openly supported it_ , and would never fake her suicide in front of him. Traditional and emotionally _normal_ , save her support for his odd little hobby and madman of a best friend — exactly what he thought he needed. This was his Identity, with a touch of Essence. It wasn’t complete happiness, and he never expected it to be, but it _was_ stability. It was a life that he expected to continue roughly apace no matter what happened to or with the mercurial and often difficult-to-read Sherlock. Then they marry and she starts acting derisive about his relationship with Sherlock, undermining the significance of John’s best friend and trying to quash what’s left of his Essence (unless it revolves around her), and _then_ inadvertently reveals herself to be a contract killer and liar — basically the precise opposite of what he thought he was marrying. She tells him it’s 'what [he] likes', his Essence, but when they ‘reconcile’ everything he says implies he wants nothing to do with her history or _who she really is_. He wants her Identity/façade back, and literally throws a symbol of her Essence — the flash drive — into the fire. Even his attempts at demanding some form of recompense — naming the baby and her mowing the lawn — _are purely Identity_. 

In other words, John only loved Mary for what she _seemed_ to be, the mask she wore and not who she _truly_ was. And he fights for her to put the mask back on. This is not to say that John was being truthful when he ‘forgave’ Mary, but that the only way he could stomach her is by pretending her true self wasn’t real. We have literally _no evidence_ they love each other on a deep level, _even if their reconciliation is real_. Even if Mary had never shot Sherlock or been revealed to be a contract killer, they _still_ would have been wrong for each other.

The truth is, this is actually a perfect example of how to do a love triangle _right_. [Jami Gold](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-an-antidote-to-love-at-first-sight/):

> A fascinating tidbit Michael shared was about how to make love triangles work. I’ve never been a huge fan of love triangles, as the (usually) heroine can seem flighty for not being able to make up her mind and/or stupid for being attracted to the “wrong” guy
> 
> Michael pointed out that one member of the triangle could be a perfect match for the heroine’s mask and the other member of the triangle could be a perfect match for the heroine’s essence. Both heroes would be perfect for her in some way (thus avoiding the stupid factor), but only one would see the real her. Bingo. There’s the guy she should end up with if she completes her inner journey. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-an-antidote-to-love-at-first-sight/))

 

In case you’ve been wondering, yes this among other things (hello, damsel) makes John the heroine (sort of) of the romance. Which makes John the protagonist. This shouldn’t be too surprising, given the structure of the show. Or the fact that only John ever has a true love interest besides the other lead (credit to Mild-lunacy for this observation). Or the fact that Sherlock’s arc is faster than John’s (think Lizzie and Darcy in _Pride and Prejudice_ : he had to get over _his_ issues before her arc could progress to the point where they could be together. Because _he’s_ the love interest, and _she’s_ the protagonist.)

 

_**Structure and Arcs** _

Most Western stories follow the same basic structure. You introduce your character, then introduce the point of the story, then move through a ‘middle’ that bounces between progress and set-back until you get to your climax, then finally resolution. The _plot_ is the External Journey. Most good stories, however, _also_ have an Internal Journey, or character development arc. This might be tied with the External Journey as follows (from [Jami Gold again](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-making-emotional-journeys-and-external-plots-play-together/)):

 

[[x](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-making-emotional-journeys-and-external-plots-play-together/)]

I’ve mildly edited this to add alternate terms and to convert from page numbers/chapters to episodes (thus necessitating rounding), but the math is otherwise exactly the same as the original. Fun homework: try to see if you can fit this to Sherlock’s Moriarty arc in the show so far. I’ve already added the arc length, which tells you what episode number to look at, but the descriptions alone ought to suffice. If you give up, you can see my version of the chart [here](http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah73/archipelagoarchaea/mhhaugebeatsheetplussherlock_zpsngms4ll7.png), or read on for a more detailed description of the arcs.

Romances follow much the same pattern, but with added complexity (brackets mine):

 

> In a romance, we have the external (plot) arc, the internal (character) arc for the hero, the internal (character) arc for the hero[ine], and the Romance Arc—the growth of the relationship over the course of the story. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/11/write-romance-get-your-beat-sheet-here/))

Sound familiar? We’ve already talked about our two internal arcs (the character development from Identity to Essence), but we also have Plot and Romance. This is simplified to an extent by integrating these four arcs into a single whole (though the separate arcs still exist). Take this ‘cheat sheet’ for plotting a romance novel from Jami Gold:

 

[[x](http://jamigold.com/2012/11/write-romance-get-your-beat-sheet-here/)]

From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28filmmaking%29):

 

> A **beat** is the timing and movement of a film or play. […] In the context of the timing of a film, a beat refers to an event, decision, or discovery that alters the way the protagonist pursues his or her goal. 
> 
> […]
> 
> Beats are specific, measured, and spaced to create a pace that moves the progress of the story forward. Audiences feel uneven or erratic beats. Uneven beats are the most forgettable or sometimes tedious parts of a film. Erratic beats jolt the audience unnecessarily.

The above chart was designed for a romance novel — I’ve only converted chapters to episodes — but it follows the same basic rules of pacing. Not _all_ stories have all the beats listed here, but they are standard for your _average_ Western novel or movie, which uses Three Act Structure or similar variants. The three major beats in the middle of the story are the End of the Beginning, the Midpoint, and the Crisis. These all have a variety of names depending on what kind of story you’re telling and who you’re talking to, but their function is always roughly the same: they provide well-paced tension and progress during that ever-so-difficult period between the catchy opening and the exciting resolution. Larry Brooks calls them the ‘three tentpoles’ of a good story because without all three the story is susceptible [6] to collapse. If you look up, for example, the ‘hero’s arc’, you can find charts telling you the same thing in different words. All of the beats listed above are standard for any type of story; only their function relative to the central relationship (in the column ‘Description’) is specifically ‘romantic’. Again, I've already included the arc length — yes it's different — if you want to try 'filling it in'. My version is [here](http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah73/archipelagoarchaea/romancebeatsheetplusjohn_zpsex1skeuc.png), or read on for an explanation.

With most love stories this is all up front: after all, there’s probably ‘Romance’ printed on the spine of the book, so why hide it? In the case of _Sherlock_ , however, our surface only has a very clear external plot arc (Moriarty) and internal journey for Sherlock. Beneath this is an obfuscated external romantic arc and internal journey for John. It’s fairly surface in many respects, but a few misleading lines and players and a refusal to address the romance directly are all it takes to throw the audience off the scent. This is, in other words, a Mystery Romance with a sticker over the word ‘Romance’. Also with a plot (mystery) arc that’s four episodes shorter than the romance arc. Devious bastards. On the other hand, there’s an advantage (for analysis) to this separation of the external arcs: _we can’t pretend the romance arc isn’t there by subsuming it into the mystery plot_ : they’re not happening at the same time. 

Back to [Jami Gold](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-are-these-characters-the-perfect-match/):

 

> Many romances are set up so the hero and heroine want “to win,” and the visible goal would be winning the girl or guy. One thing Michael didn’t go into—because he’s not a romance guy (Yet. If we invite him to enough RWA meetings, maybe we’ll convert him. Heh.)—is that many of the romance subgenres have an additional outer goal based on the non-romance external conflict. Romantic suspense stories might have an “escape the bad guy” element, and paranormal romance stories often have a “stop the bad guy” aspect.
> 
> In contrast, a character’s inner journey is how they will transform by the end of the story. Typically, a character will start out by living in fear in some way, and if they succeed, they’ll end by living courageously. The invisible finish line to this journey would be that they’d meet a deep longing or need (that they might not even be consciously aware of).

So we have the outer (mystery genre) goal of Sherlock defeating Moriarty, with the additional ‘hidden’ outer goal of John winning Sherlock. The inner goals are Sherlock’s progress to a ‘good man’ who is open to love (especially of John) without destroying his intellectual abilities and John’s progress to living an adrenaline-addicted, openly-bisexual, _and_ emotionally stable life with Sherlock. We’re about 75% through the former, and a little over halfway through the latter, as illustrated in the graph below.

 

Rather than showing a curve that depicts the action (rising to climax then falling, as is typical with most ‘plot arc’ graphs), I chose to depict the _character arcs_ as a function of plot points and time. The purple arc is Sherlock’s, as his is tied to the plot, and the red is John’s, for romance. The curves represent their progress from Identity (extremes) to Essence (middle), including major setbacks, while the bubble pointers are used to mark the related beats of their respective arcs. I’ve chosen not to explicitly mark pinch points — though you can see their effect on the character arcs — as they are less important and would clutter the graph. Again: Purple::Plot::Sherlock, and Red::Romance::John. If you look closely, you can see that the plot arcs _do_ affect each other, as a plot point from one arc may spark a pinch point from the other arc (for example).

I’ve edited this chart from the original, which overlaid the two arcs. I thought it might be easier to see the interplay if they were across from each other. I especially like this new version, however, because it illustrates a point from the character arc section: that the more the characters live in their ‘Identity’ the more their relationship suffers. Think of the space between the arcs as ‘emotional distance’. This isn’t about how much they _love_ each other, but about the state of their relationship (which could be misinterpreted as love/lack of love by an outsider). It’s about intimacy and comfort and communication. And you can clearly see the way it fluctuates depending on events and their reaction to it, with an overall trend of progress but numerous (increasingly extreme, i.e. dramatic) setbacks. Once they are fully living in their Essence, they will be in a committed romantic relationship. Not because romantic relationships are inherently more intimate, but because they both _want_ it, so once they are being fully honest it only makes sense that they will have what they want. It also illustrates that (a) they have not yet reached the pinnacle of their relationship (romantic or otherwise) and (b) they will get closer than ever in Series 4 before John’s sudden retreat/Crisis. Which makes complete, 100% sense from a story-telling perspective.

In case anyone is wondering why I’m so confident in my choice of beat locations, here it is: I picked them _solely_ based on their style and function in the narrative, as will be described in detail later. I only chose to calculate their exact position in the story later. A hypothesis based on the ‘platonic ideal’ of a 3-Act structure would be that the Inciting Incident should be roughly 10% through the story, the End of the Beginning should finish close to 25%, and the Crisis should finish around 75%. I’m not listing the Midpoint as a result because I _started_ from the assumption it was 50% for the sake of calculations.

So, just for the fun of it, I decided to test this hypothesis. What I got were the results above (filled in bubbles, not the empty ones since those obviously haven’t happened yet). The Inciting Incidents are the furthest from ‘ideal’ because they’re located at or near the end of _A Study in Pink_ and thus serve dual purposes. This is a result of having to fit the plot points to distinct, 80 minute chunks. The other three beats are _ludicrously_ close to their platonic ideals. **My hypothesis made a prediction that proved to be correct, therefore I feel confident in my choices.** I also hadn’t realized until after I picked these beats that the romantic arc mirrors the platonic arc to an extent that ‘they’re analogous points in their respective arcs’ doesn’t even _begin_ to explain. Unless you think all Midpoints are supposed to start with Donovan and Lestrade responding to daylight break-ins. Yes, I’m teasing. We’ll get there. The empty bubbles are my predictions based on (a) the length of the plot arcs, (b) the assumption that the writers will continue to try to place these beats as closely as possible to ‘ideal’, and (c) natural placement with respect to episode boundaries and a need for cliffhangers. I’ll talk more about this later, but first I want to get into _how_ I picked these beats.

**Analyzing the Arcs**

Our surface goal is Sherlock’s defeat of Moriarty and development into a good man (heavily foreshadowed and linked to John in _A Study in Pink_ ), but it’s _interdependent on_ our other external goal: a consummated openly romantic relationship between John and Sherlock, and on John’s development into a comfortable, openly bisexual, adventurer. **Remember that Sherlock’s arc is particularly tied to the mystery plot, whereas John’s is tied to the romance, but _they’re all intertwined_.**

**Opening Image / Hook**

As described by the charts above, we start with an Opening Image/Hook. For _A Study in Pink_ , on an episode level, the Hook is the bit before the starting credits, when John dreams of fighting, feels depressed, and tells his therapist, ‘Nothing ever happens to me.’ For the _show as a whole_ , however, the Hook is the entirety of _A Study in Pink_. It introduces us _both_ to our bored and depressed protagonist _and_ to our lonely-but-in-denial love interest/mystery protagonist and shows us how much they need each other. Typical romance fare. Starting as we do with an episode-hook based around John implies that he is the — or at least _a_ — protagonist, which means that his progress to ‘adrenaline junkie with a deeply emotional romantic relationship with Sherlock’ _must_ be important. It also shows us how much he needs Sherlock. Our introduction to Sherlock is subtler on this point, as he plays the role of the narcissistic loner very well. We’ll only later in the episode see hints that this is a mask, as is typical for his [character type](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JerkWithAHeartOfGold). This episode is also the Hook for the _mystery/plot_ arc, as it tells us that Moriarty exists and is interested in Sherlock. After this, the arcs start separating, but most plot points set off a pinch point or plot point for the other arc, e.g. the romantic First Plot Point produces a pinch point for the Moriarty plot. See [graph](http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah73/archipelagoarchaea/plotarc_zpsigsqh5k1.png) above while you read, if that helps.

 

**Inciting Incident**

Next we have our Inciting Incident. Remember that we are talking about a _multi-season_ arc, most likely 12 episodes for Moriarty/mystery and 16 for the romance (based on the placement of the Midpoint). You can do this sort of structural analysis on an episode level as well, but that’s not what we’re talking about. Also, don’t get confused by the episode-range on the chart. The Inciting Incident isn’t that entire range [emphasis mine]:

 

> In the rows for the Inciting Incident, End of the Beginning, Crisis, and Resolution, the specific plot event of the beat might occur **anywhere within that range**. […] The Climax is a special case in that the range encompasses everything leading up to up to the Climax as well as the actual “showdown.” ([x](http://jamigold.com/2013/12/nano-wrap-up-beat-sheets-101/))

Moving on. What’s an Inciting Incident? According to [Larry Brooks](http://storyfix.com/redefining-the-%E2%80%9Cinciting-incident%E2%80%9D), that can be confusing at times. An Inciting Incident is what, simply, incites the story. Sometimes the Inciting Incident is equated with the First Plot Point, which occurs at roughly 20-25% through the story for pacing reasons (we’ll talk about that next). Often, however, there’s an _earlier_ Inciting Incident around 10%. This is what the chart refers to: a moment that gives us a glimpse of what could be, but our protagonists aren’t yet ready to start that journey. The romantic Inciting Incident is John shooting the cabby, and Sherlock deducing it, because (a) rescues are common inciting incidents in romance, and (b) while he _was_ interested before, this is the first moment Sherlock ‘opens his eyes’ to how remarkable and useful John is. John and Sherlock start flirting, giggling together and being themselves. Sherlock asks John to dinner, and John is eager. This _looks_ like the start to a beautiful relationship. In fact, they’re so comfortable a lot of people wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d been a couple by the time the next episode started. But the reality is that the next time we see them (in _The Blind Banker_ ), they’re not really comfortable with each other at all. Sherlock is hiding his work from John, and John is snippy in return. They — particularly John as this is his arc and he’s the less accepting one at the beginning of this episode — are ‘resisting the call’ to romance, ‘Stage 2’ of Michael Hause’s generic arc. The true point of no return won’t be until the First Plot Point / End of the Beginning.

The mystery plot Inciting Incident is Sherlock learning Moriarty’s name. It’s our first hint at the villain, but we haven’t yet met him and Sherlock certainly isn’t actively thinking about him in the next episode.  These Inciting Incidents get us ready for the story, but they don’t actually set it into motion. We’re still in the ‘exposition’ act, which familiarizes us with our protagonists weaknesses, fears, desires, and so forth. Again, we see no evidence of Sherlock pursuing Moriarty until his First Plot Point, as he is ‘refusing the call’.

 

**First Plot Point / End of the Beginning**

The next major beat ends around 25% and marks the end of Act I. This is when the plot _really_ gets rolling. 

 

> End of the Beginning is also known as Break Into [Act] Two or the First Plot Point. This is when the character makes a “point of no return” choice, establishing goals, stakes, and obstacles for the story. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/11/write-romance-get-your-beat-sheet-here/))
> 
>  

Larry Brooks calls the End of the Beginning (EoB or FPP for First Plot Point) the _inciting incident_ , because it fits the strictest definition, so don’t get confused but it’s what he’s talking about here (my edits in brackets):

 

> [The Inciting Incident as described in the previous section] was, however, a moment that _incites_ the rest of the story.  It was, simply from a dictionary perspective, an _inciting incident_.  Or from a writer/reader perspective, a plot twist.  An injection of threat and fear.  Of _potential_ – but not yet defined – danger to the hero.
> 
> But it wasn’t the FPP [End of the Beginning].  That showed up in a series that takes place after page 80, where the antagonist and the hero’s agendas suddenly, and violently, collide.  Where the hero suddenly has a new journey, a new need and quest, with deeper stakes and an even more _meaningful_ relationship with the bad guy.
> 
> And, because we’ve been set-up for it, the reader has significant empathy (emotional involvement) at this point.
> 
> When an inciting incident happens early in a story, our world may indeed be rocked.  But chances are we won’t know what it _means_ to the story, especially to the hero. ([x](http://storyfix.com/redefining-the-%E2%80%9Cinciting-incident%E2%80%9D-part-2))

Also (earlier in the same link):

 

> **Now the story _really_ begins. **
> 
> With stakes, inner demons, an antagonist and a dark agenda, and the nature of the hero’s impending journey… all right there in front of us. ([x](http://storyfix.com/redefining-the-%E2%80%9Cinciting-incident%E2%80%9D-part-2))

 

This is pretty easy to figure out from the perspective of the plot/mystery arc. The pool scene at the end of _The Great Game_ and very beginning of _A Scandal in Belgravia_ is the moment when Sherlock finally meets his nemesis (and dark mirror), when he learns that his faux-sociopath Identity didn’t defeat Moriarty or protect John from harm, and when the stakes become clear. He’s been playing a game with Moriarty, but Moriarty is _genuinely dangerous_. This is when we first really see Sherlock’s Essence: his love for John and immense hurt the moment he thought he’d been betrayed, and his willingness to lose the game — to commit treason by handing over the plans — as long as John is safe. We get stakes, an antagonist, the antagonist’s dark agenda and the hero’s point-of-no-return choice:

> JIM: You can’t be allowed to continue. You just can’t. I would try to convince you but ... _(he laughs and his voice becomes sing-song again)_ ... everything I have to say has already crossed your mind!
> 
> _(Sherlock, who had looked away for a moment, now turns and looks down at John again, his face showing no emotion but his eyes screaming a silent request. John responds instantly with a tiny nod, giving him full permission to do whatever he deems necessary.)_
> 
> SHERLOCK _(turning to face Jim)_ : **Probably my answer has crossed yours.**
> 
> _(He raises the pistol and aims it at him. Jim smiles confidently, with no fear in his expression. Slowly Sherlock lowers the pistol downwards until it’s pointing directly at the bomb jacket. All three sets of eyes lock onto the jacket, John breathing heavily, Sherlock calm. Jim tilts his head, looking a little anxious for the first time. As Sherlock holds his hand steady, continuing to aim towards the jacket, Jim lifts his head and locks eyes with his nemesis. Sherlock gazes back at him and Jim begins to smile. Sherlock’s eyes narrow slightly.)_
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/45923.html))

and a good sampling of Sherlock’s inner demons as he gleefully enjoys the ‘game’ — if not the actual deaths — until John gets caught up in it, and reacts badly to the idea that people don’t think he’s all that clever (the ‘spectacularly ignorant’ blog post). This is when the conflict with Moriarty _really_ takes off, even if it’s not always at the forefront of the story. In other words, this is the End of the Beginning, the First Plot Point, and Act II of the Mystery Plot begins just 4 minutes into _Scandal_. 

 

> JIM: Sorry. Wrong day to die.
> 
> SHERLOCK _(casually)_ : Oh. Did you get a better offer?
> 
> _(Jim looks down at the phone, then turns and slowly starts to walk away.)_
> 
> JIM: You’ll be hearing from me, Sherlock.  ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26320.html))

 

Quite the end to the first act. We can easily figure out the romantic arc by analogy — the plot arc serves as a sort of decoding ring for the romance[7], which mirrors it in a variety of ways. Just for fun, here’s a scene that links the plot End of the Beginning with the romantic End of the Beginning:

 

> GEEKY YOUNG MAN (sitting on the dining chair while two other geeky young men stand behind him): We have this website. It explains the true meaning of comic books, ‘cause people miss a lot of the themes. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26320.html))

_Interesting_. In any case, a romantic arc is subject to the same basic rules as a plot arc. Rather than having an antagonist, however, we have _antagonistic forces_ : the flaws in our heroes (especially John, the protagonist) that keep them apart. Also, our romantic arc is being obfuscated by the refusal to openly acknowledge it. So for our romantic End of the Beginning, we need something functionally similar to the plot End of the Beginning: the protagonist casually playing a game with antagonistic forces until confrontation by some representative of these forces. Did I say the romantic arc is never explicitly acknowledged? Well this is actually the exception.

> IRENE: Does that make me special?
> 
> JOHN: ... I don’t know. Maybe.
> 
> IRENE: Are you jealous?
> 
> JOHN: We’re not a couple.
> 
> IRENE: Yes you are. There ...
> 
> (She holds up her phone to show John the screen, although he’s too far away to read it. She tells him what she has typed anyway.)
> 
> IRENE: “I’m not dead. Let’s have dinner.”
> 
> (She presses the Send button. John turns away momentarily and then turns back to her.)
> 
> JOHN (quietly): Who ... who the hell knows about Sherlock Holmes, but – for the record – if anyone out there still cares, I’m not actually gay.
> 
> IRENE: Well, I am. Look at us both.
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26848.html))

Irene represents the antagonistic forces to the romance. For Sherlock, she’s everything that’s wrong with romantic love: manipulative, abusive, possessive, uncaring of her interest’s well-being but ultimately destroyed by her ‘love’ anyway. For John, she is first the apparent rival (John himself admits he’s being a little silly to think this[8], but his jealousy is powerful), then later evidence that Sherlock cannot love, for John thought he was interested in Irene, but Sherlock acts dismissive of the fact that he would never see her again. Irene isn’t the _actual_ antagonist of the romantic arc, but she _is_ a temporary human stand-in. Also, there’s this nice bit:

> MYCROFT _(more softly)_ : The **damsel in distress**. _(He smiles ironically.)_ In the end, are you really so obvious? Because this was textbook: the promise of love, the pain of loss, the joy of redemption; then give him a puzzle ... _(his voice drops to a whisper while he twirls the end of his umbrella in the air)_ ... and watch him dance. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/27275.html))

 

Mycroft thinks Irene was Sherlock’s damsel and love interest, but _His Last Vow_ will eventually _explicitly_ tell us that’s not the case:

 

> MAGNUSSEN _(looking at the screen)_ : But look how you care about John Watson.
> 
> _(In slow motion on the footage, Sherlock drags John out from under the bonfire again.)_
> 
> MAGNUSSEN: Your **damsel in distress**.
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/68754.html))

 

Mycroft is describing a romantic story arc: the First Plot Point, the Crisis, and the Climax. A complete arc would include a Midpoint (granted not all successful stories have one), but that would be difficult to reduce to a pithy phrase. So, just so we’re clear: Irene / _A Scandal in Belgravia_ manufactures a **fake** romance between Irene and Sherlock, but there’s a _real_ romantic arc in progress and this is the End of the Beginning of its first act. We have John’s ‘demons’ as he repeatedly discusses Sherlock and romance with everyone but Sherlock, refuses to even attempt to compete with Irene, and goes through four girlfriends in a matter of months trying to inject the appearance of normality (Identity) into his life. We have a ‘game’ between antagonistic stand-in Irene and romantic protagonist John (remember that she deliberately involves him in her game with Sherlock — it’s _John_ she kidnaps, not Sherlock, and John she constantly torments with Sherlock’s supposed attraction to her), all with the purpose of getting him to back off. As with the plot’s FPP, we have the protagonist’s genuine love interest fall victim to the antagonist in part because the protagonist thought he was her only enemy. We don’t get to see John’s point-of-no-return choice as clearly as Sherlock’s because, again, the romantic arc is being obfuscated, but we’ll later learn that John never has another girlfriend until after Sherlock’s death, a fact that _The Reichenbach Fall_ deliberately highlighted, using queer coding[9], no less: 

 

>  JOHN _(looking at another part of the article)_ : “... _confirmed_ bachelor John Watson”! ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/30648.html))

 

And by _The Hounds of Baskerville_ they’re acting a lot like a married couple and even sharing a room when they travel. Not only has John given up girlfriends since _Scandal_ , but we never hear about his work at the surgery anymore and he seems to find it easy to be available to Sherlock and the work. Clearly, something changed by the end of _Scandal_. We’ve started the romantic arc in earnest.

This plot point is also where we first start to see the way the romantic arc mirrors the plot/mystery arc, which is actually pretty funny considering how close the two plot points are; it’s amazing they got away with it. Both episodes revolve largely around a very important phone belonging to the antagonist. We start with Mycroft trying to get Sherlock to take a case. In _The Great Game_ Sherlock refuses, so Mycroft hands it off to John. In _Scandal_ , Mycroft dispenses with the preliminaries and has John flown in by helicopter before he even tries. Both episodes involve the villains attempting to seduce Sherlock but failing[10]. In _The Great Game_ Moriarty plays a game with Sherlock. He says he’s send a puzzle because he likes to watch Sherlock dance:

 

> WOMAN’s VOICE _(tearfully)_ : I’ve ... sent you ... a little puzzle ... just to say hi.
> 
> […]
> 
> OLD WOMAN: I like ... to watch you ... dance.
> 
> [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/46381.html#cutid1)]

 

In _Scandal,_ Irene plays a game with Sherlock. According to Mycroft, this was her motivation [bolding mine]:

 

> MYCROFT _(more softly)_ : The damsel in distress. _(He smiles ironically.)_ In the end, are you really so obvious? Because this was textbook: the promise of love, the pain of loss, the joy of redemption; then **give him a puzzle ...** _(his voice drops to a whisper while he twirls the end of his umbrella in the air)_ ... **and watch him dance.** [[x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/27275.html)]

 

In _The Great Game_ , Sherlock seems to be winning, but only survives in the end because Moriarty _lets_ him. In _Scandal_ , Sherlock seems to be losing, but defeats the villain (Irene) at the last minute, using his own wits (and obsession with John). In both _The Great Game_ and _A Scandal in Belgravia_ , John and Sherlock bicker over John’s blog, but in _Scandal_ it’s less quarrel than pettifoggery. In _The Great Game_ Sherlock brings the top-secret plans as leverage, then commits treason handing them over to protect John. In _Scandal_ Sherlock only commits treason, once again revealing Mycroft's top secret plan, because he was _tricked_ [11]. Not only does the romantic arc mirror the plot arc, it _fixes_ some of the mistakes that were made (by characters) in the plot. 

 

**First Pinch Point**

Our next (somewhat less important) ‘beat’ is the first pinch point, and it should occur not too far into the second act. What’s a pinch point? Back to [Larry Brooks](http://storyfix.com/story-structure-series-9-%25E2%2580%2593-pinch-points):

 

> Definition of a pinch point: _an example, or a reminder, of the nature and implications of the antagonistic force, that is not filtered by the hero’s experience.  We see it for ourselves in a direct form._ ([x](http://storyfix.com/story-structure-series-9-%25E2%2580%2593-pinch-points))

 

So for our plot, this means a reminder of Moriarty. This is easy:

 

> _(While the words continue to echo in Sherlock’s mind, at Westminster Jim is typing a message onto his phone:_
> 
> Jumbo Jet. Dear me Mr Holmes, dear me.
> 
> _He presses Send and the message wings its way up into the air. As if watching it go, Jim raises his eyes towards Big Ben, the very image of the seat of the British government, and blows a long and loud raspberry at it._
> 
> _At Mycroft’s house/residence/fancy office he picks up his phone from the dining table and looks at a newly arrived message. It reads:_
> 
> Jumbo Jet. Dear me Mr Holmes, dear me.
> 
> _Time passes and Mycroft returns to the chair at the end of the dining table and sinks down into it, running his hand over his face and clearly still shocked by the turn of events._
> 
> _More time passes and Mycroft has removed his jacket and has a glass of brandy in front of him. His hands are folded in front of his mouth and he is lost in wide-eyed and horrified thought._
> 
> _Much later, as night begins to fall, Mycroft’s face is furrowed with anguish and his eyes are still wide at the horror which only he knows about. The glass beside him is empty. Slowly he closes his eyes and sinks his head into his hands in despair.)_
> 
> _(_[ _x_](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/26848.html))

Our villain makes a brief appearance to remind us of the danger just around the corner. If the audience has forgotten that Moriarty is still out there, and still a serious threat, they remember now. Even Mycroft can’t stop him. This is related to an event (Irene’s betrayal) that leads to a confirmation of Fear and a character regression by Sherlock.

In a romance arc, this is a little different. Our antagonistic force is whatever is keeping our two heroes apart. After _Scandal_ , John is actually relatively open to Sherlock, even more so since Irene gave him her ‘look at us both’ talk. Sherlock regresses emotionally before _Hounds_ (thanks, Irene/pinch point), but the _relationship_ actually progresses overall. Thus the main antagonistic force is _Sherlock’s_ Identity — scornful of love — in conjunction with John’s fear of rejection. Since John’s the protagonist of our romance, he ideally shouldn’t be present for this pinch point. In this case, it's Sherlock's encounter with Jim on the roof in _Reichenbach_ , when he claims to be like Moriarty, above it all, capable of ruthless torture,‘On the side of the angels, but not one of them,’ and confronting the fact that his Essence is what’s about to get him — or his friends— killed. He’s forced (more or less) to reject John in order to keep him safe. Luckily he had a backup plan to escape death, but this is quite the challenge to our romance arc. Even Mycroft couldn’t save them from this situation.

We have some minor mirroring between the plot pinch point and romance pinch point in that both of these involve Moriarty, but there’s something more important going on: Both these episodes involve characters faking their deaths. Irene does it to manipulate Sherlock, but Sherlock does it to protect John. Sherlock wasn’t actually in love with Irene, but her actions do lead him to distrust romance even more. John was in love with Sherlock, so Sherlock’s actions — despite the mitigating factor — lead him to distrust Sherlock emotionally. Once again, however, we have the romance improving upon the plot, as Sherlock’s reasons were far less selfish than Irene’s.

 

**The Midpoint**

This next part is where it _really_ gets good (bolding mine, various sources).

> The Midpoint marks another “point of no return” moment to raise the stakes. It can be a reversal (success to failure or vice versa), a _false_ reversal ( **what seems to be a success is actually a failure** ), or a restatement/recommitment to the goals. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/11/write-romance-get-your-beat-sheet-here/)) 

> The character must do something to show they’re committed to the goal, and they get a glimpse of what their life would be like if they lived in their essence. Even though the outside world is starting to close in, most of the character’s vacillation ends at this point.
> 
> In a romance, this might be the hero and heroine’s first kiss, first sex scene, or first declaration of love. Some visible action has to reveal their desire (goal) to the world. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/08/michael-hauges-workshop-making-emotional-journeys-and-external-plots-play-together/))

> [I]f you want to really get your audience where it matters, you’ll try to push your hero a little further, shatter their identity and reveal their essence. And when I say “push”, I mean drag them kicking and screaming to their essence. ([x](http://www.crackingyarns.com.au/2010/07/30/midpoint-stakes-supreme-ordeal-identity-essence/))

So the Midpoint, the ‘point of no return’, when we get our clearest glimpse yet of our heroes’ Essence. It’s often a mirror of the end of our arc and the ‘Final ~~Problem~~ Resolution’.

 

> Firstly, you’ll have your hero confronted with their flaw – almost invariably by your antagonist. Have a metaphorical face-slapping scene. That’s a mandatory. ([x](http://www.crackingyarns.com.au/2010/07/30/midpoint-stakes-supreme-ordeal-identity-essence/))
> 
> Will the hero remain transformed? Sometimes, but sometimes they’ll slip back (John Book in _Witness_ does and it triggers Act 3). But what we see in that midpoint moment will affect us deeply and make credible the decisive action the hero takes at the Act 3 climax. ([x](http://www.crackingyarns.com.au/2010/07/30/midpoint-stakes-supreme-ordeal-identity-essence/))

The Midpoint is, in essence, the preview that makes the third act plausible, regardless of what happens in between. We need this in part because the second act typically ends with either a Crisis (and Second Plot Point) or a hope spot (and Second Plot Point), depending on whether the ending will be happy or sad. The Crisis makes us feel all is lost before our hero finally earns their happy ending, so we need an uplifting Midpoint to tell us where we’re going and that our heroes are capable of getting there. In a tragedy, the hope spot makes us feel the hero might actually get a happy ending before we start unravelling toward a tragic ending, so it needs a dark Midpoint to tell the audience what the show’s really about. Make sense? Further:

 

> Here’s the Mid-Point defined: new information that enters the story squarely in the middle of it, that changes the contextual experience and understanding of either the reader, the hero, or both.
> 
> […]
> 
> Before the Mid-Point both the hero and the reader experience the story with limited awareness of the real truth behind what’s going on.  Because it reveals significant new information, everything after the Mid-Point carries new weight and dramatic tension.
> 
> ([x](http://storyfix.com/story-structure-steries-6-wrapping-your-head-around-the-mid-point-milestone))

 

This is actually the plot point that made me realize there were two arcs, and that the romantic arc was John’s, because like many people I saw _The Sign of Three_ as the point of no return in the romantic arc. But while this is true, the full purpose of the Midpoint arc isn’t fulfilled until the end of _His Last Vow_. Yet _His Last Vow_ was so clearly a Crisis for Sherlock, and fit the ‘Moriarty’ Midpoint poorly. The timing made no sense. Then I realized that the _The Reichenbach Fall/The Empty Hearse_ arc did the same thing for Sherlock and Moriarty that _The Sign of Three/His Last Vow_ did for John and romance. Not only that, but there is clear mirroring (not necessarily in the same order). Take a look:

  
Donovan and Lestrade are called to a robbery-in-progress.  
    •    Mystery: Moriarty is breaking into three institutions at once, and deliberately gets caught.  
    •    Romance: The Waters Family evades capture multiple times.

  
This leads into the protagonist’s best friend facing the beginning of a great test.  
    •    Mystery: John faces the return of Moriarty and his responsibility as Sherlock’s partner.  
    •    Romance: Sherlock faces John’s wedding and his own responsibility as best man.

  
The best friend is afraid, but refuses to abandon the protagonist. His expression of devotion, trust, and support is so extreme the audience melts into a puddle of goo.  
    •    Mystery: John punches the Chief Superintendent and goes on the run with Sherlock, risking his life and freedom.  
    •    Romance: Sherlock reads a love letter to the guests in lieu of a best man speech (he seems a bit confused) and makes a vow to always be there for John.

  
A representative of the protagonist’s Identity taunts his best friend with the idea that he isn’t special.  
    •    Mystery: Moriarty makes faces at John after Sherlock (sarcastically) says they ‘had a special something’.  
    •    Romance: Mary tells Sherlock ‘neither of us were the first’ despite, hypothetically, being the last herself.

  
Tension builds (Mystery: fear/ Romance: intimacy) until we reach a sort of climax.

  
John tries to talk an anti-social man he cares about out of suicide. [12]

  
The protagonist dances with — and claims — his Identity.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock dances around Moriarty on the roof of the building where he met John, proclaiming himself ‘not [an angel]’.  
    •    Romance: John dances with Mary to the tune of Sherlock’s violin.

  
The protagonist thinks he’s got the solution all worked out — the compromise between his Identity and his Essence[13] — but just past the point of no return, the rug is pulled out from under him.  
    •    Moriarty kills himself (we thought). Sherlock can’t torture the saving code out of Moriarty (using his Identity in service of his Essence).  
    •    Mary is pregnant with John’s child (we think?). John can’t use his wedded life (Identity) as an emotional safe haven from which to foray into Sherlock’s world (Essence).

  
He retreats into his Identity to deal with this failure, and at the very end of the episode his best friend walks away alone, believing they’ll never see each other again.[14] The first episode of the Midpoint arc ends.

This point, right here, is the literal, precise midpoint, the ‘50% mark’ and the moment when our story changes direction forever — even if it’s only the audience that realizes it right now. It’s ‘the end of an era’. In the mystery/plot, it’s a sort of end of innocence. Moriarty is no longer a game and no longer out to merely ‘play’, and the next time Sherlock faces him Sherlock will be treating the situation very seriously. For the romance, it’s the end of casual flirtation and obliviousness, and for many in the audience, an end to the credibility of an exclusively platonic relationship. That’s not a coincidence. Midpoints are built to be visible to the audience, even if the protagonist doesn’t understand their significance. **It’s what they’re for** ; higher stakes means more tension, so Midpoints add tension right around the point where plot tends to sag. And if the audience can’t see the tension, _it’s not tension_. (Audience denial is a different matter). You know how amateur writers frequently struggle with the middle? It’s because they don’t know how to use — or not use, if skilled enough — the Midpoint (or the first and second plot points). Having hammered that in a bit too enthusiastically, let’s move on.

For the best friend, this is a major test of their relationship, and we see that as the midpoint _arc_ continues into the next episode.

We begin the second episode seeing that our protagonist has been trying to live in his Identity — and failing.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock tries to be cold and callous after Mycroft brings him home from Serbia, but all he can talk about is John and their life together.  
    •    Romance: John has been trying to live happily with his new, newly pregnant, wife, but all he can think about is Sherlock and their life together and it’s leading to friction.

  
Our protagonist has a break of sorts leading to their reunion.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock’s interruption of John’s proposal to Mary was poorly-thought-out, but also very romantic and affectionate[15], to the point where he nearly cries (again, Essence).  
    •    Romance: John is irritable, dreaming of Sherlock, rude to his neighbor and itching for action. Storming the drug den, while more violent than he would normally need, is a relapse into his adventurous Essence.

  
The protagonist’s best friend doesn’t react well to their reunion and calls out the protagonist on his inconsistent behavior. This is the metaphorical 'face-slapping' scene: an antagonist (Moriarty/Mary) helps set it up, but it's the love interest that does the 'slapping'.  
    •    Mystery: John is angry that Sherlock left him out and never contacted him, letting him grieve.  
    •    Romance: Sherlock points out that John is just as restless as he is, despite being newly married.

  
The protagonist eventually dusts himself off and begins an active pursuit of his Essence.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock tries to be kinder to people.  
    •    Romance: John is eager to renew his dangerous relationship with Sherlock.

  
Sadly, he can’t pursue it as much as he’d like. There must always be obstacles, until the Climax. The protagonist’s best friend has proposed marriage to a woman that looks an awful lot like himself, and thus proven his commitment to his own Identity.  
    •    Mystery: John is pursuing a traditional life with Mary.  
    •    Romance: Sherlock is pursuing the ultimate in unsentimental, ruthless behavior by manipulating Janine.

Sherlock temporarily defuses a threat.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock flips the switch on the bomb, but the actual defusing requires a bomb squad.  
    •    Romance: Sherlock placates Mary after she threatens him (and potentially John).

This scene is intercut with a scene of dubious honesty.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock explains how he survived the fall to Anderson.  
    •    Romance: John reconciles with Mary.

By the end of this episode, the protagonist has made a visible commitment to his partner and thus, subtextually, to the goal of the external arc.  
    •    Mystery: Sherlock tells John he’s sorry, and means it, begging his forgiveness and tacitly accepting his choice of wife, then tells John that he doesn’t know who put him in a bonfire — and that he doesn’t like not knowing (again, no longer a game).  
    •    Romance: John tells Sherlock, ‘Your way. Always your way.’  He accepts Sherlock’s guidance in dealing with his own wife.

  
Finally, the protagonist is forced to resume the guise (but not reality) of Identity (Sherlock literally puts on his hat, and John ‘takes back’ his wife), and there’ll be a major setback (Crisis) in the future, but progress has well and truly begun. We have momentum.

There you go: _The Reichenbach Fall - The Empty Hearse_ is the plot/mystery midpoint. Feel like unfinished business? That’s because it was. Thought the resolution sounded like a lie, whose truth is known only to the protagonist and possibly Mycroft? _That’s because it was_. It looked like a Climax on first watch, but it definitely wasn’t. And in a nearly perfect reflection of the plot, _The Sign of Three - His Last Vow_ is the romantic midpoint, with all the caveats above. Not all the mirroring was necessarily intentional, but there’s enough of it that I believe the romantic arc deliberately calls back to the mystery/plot arc. By the way, I made a video illustrating many of these parallels [here](http://https://vimeo.com/134165263) (on Tumblr [here](http://archipelagoarchaea.tumblr.com/post/124720118578/a-study-in-sherlock-mid-story-plot-structure)). It’s even more obvious when you _see_ it.

Oh, and remember those first pinch points? Yeah, turns out they foreshadowed the second half of their respective midpoints[16].

For Sherlock’s arc, from _A Scandal in Belgravia_ , the plot to blow up Westminster:

 

>  As if watching it go, Jim raises his eyes towards Big Ben, the very image of the seat of the British government, and blows a long and loud raspberry at it.

As an episode, we also get Irene faking her death, in parallel to Sherlock (and possibly Moriarty), the use of fire to expose someone’s priorities, Sherlock in costume (battle dress), John punching Sherlock, references to John being a soldier, either John or Sherlock being drugged with a needle, and even skyping (that one might be a bit of a stretch).

[Edit: I forgot to mention a lot of this is probably actually plot Midpoint to Crisis foreshadowing.] And for the romance, from _The Reichenbach Fall_ , the truth about Mary/John’s subtextual Identity:

 

> SHERLOCK: I can still prove that you created an entirely false identity.

The mind palace scene:

 

> JIM: Oh, you’ve got an audience now. Off you pop.

Sherlock’s fatal flaw:

 

> JIM: I knew you’d fall for it. **That’s your weakness – you always want everything to be clever.** Now, shall we finish the game? One final act. Glad you chose a tall building – nice way to do it. 

The nature of his adversary:

 

> JIM: “Genius detective proved to be a fraud.” **I read it in the paper, so it must be true.** I love newspapers. Fairytales.

And

 

>  JIM (voiceover): ... and every person has their **pressure point** ; someone that they want to protect from harm. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/30955.html))

And the end, before Sherlock goes to his apparent death:

 

> SHERLOCK: Would you give me ... one moment, please; one moment of privacy? ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/31651.html))

Plus the nature of his transformation, what the Midpoint sets Sherlock on the path to:

 

> SHERLOCK (his voice becoming more ominous): Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don’t think for one second that I am one of them. ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/31651.html))

 

Also, remember this bit about Midpoints?

 

> In a romance, this might be the hero and heroine’s first kiss, first sex scene, or first declaration of love. 

We’re still in ‘stealth mode’ on the romance, so no kissing (sorry), but you know what we did get from _The Sign of Three_? A declaration of love. Two of them, actually. As well as some, er, subtextual sex. And a subtextual marriage. If anyone can spot a subtextual kiss, we’ll have the trifecta, but it’s probably a good thing there isn’t one (more on that later). Oh yes, and regarding the mirror improving on the original: in _The Reichenbach Fall_ Sherlock ends up in a jail cell alone. In _The Sign of Three_ he’s there with John. In _The Empty Hearse_ Sherlock ‘comes back to life’ for John, but he was never really dead. In _His Last Vow_ Sherlock _literally_ comes back to life to protect John. And while we’re at it: _The Empty Hearse_ gives us a fake Moran for a fake resurrection, while _His Last Vow_ gives us a real Moran for a real resurrection. The man called Moran in _Hearse_ bears little to no resemblance to Moriarty’s right-hand-man from Conan Doyle canon, whereas ‘Mary’ doesn’t carry the name, but _does_ perform at least one scene originally belonging to canon Moran [17].

 

**Second Pinch Point**

_His Last Vow_ also gives us the second plot/mystery pinch point (this episode has multifarious uses, like no other before or likely after, so maybe give Moffat a teensy bit of a break):

 

> LADY ELIZABETH SMALLWOOD
> 
> MARRIED
> 
> SOLVENT
> 
> FORMER GYMNAST
> 
> PORN PREFERENCE: NONE
> 
> VICES: NONE
> 
> _and, in red underneath:_
> 
> PRESSURE POINT: >SEARCHING
> 
> _The line flashes for a moment._
> 
> _Magnussen takes off his glasses and reaches for a small cloth on the table.)_
> 
> MAGNUSSEN: No.
> 
> LADY SMALLWOOD: Are you sure?
> 
> _(Magnussen pauses while he cleans the lenses on his glasses and then puts them on again. He looks at Lady Smallwood and the information about her reappears in front of his eyes. The basic details about her then disappear leaving just the red line which is no longer flashing and now reads:_
> 
> PRESSURE POINT: >
> 
> HUSBAND
> 
> MAGNUSSEN _(holding her gaze)_ : I have an excellent memory.
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/67234.html))

Technically the whole hook[18] of _His Last Vow_ is the pinch point, but I selected this portion because it uses the words ‘Pressure Point’, which amused me given the context. Usually we want the actual antagonist, but at the moment we think he’s dead and his criminal is web destroyed, so we get a villain who is subtextually connected to Moriarty through the references listed above. This is actually a fairly clever way to put off the reveal of Moriarty while still maintaining an overarching tension.

 

**Second Plot Point / Crisis**

Finally, let’s pin down the Crisis and Second Plot Point (SPP). These are two concepts so closely linked it sometimes feels like they’re synonyms. The Crisis is generally what _leads_ to the Second Plot Point and beginning of Act III, so they tend to be the same arc. The Crisis is a period of seeming hopelessness either triggered by or leading to the protagonist’s ‘retreat to Identity’. Sherlock’s crisis begins at the end of _The Sign of Three_ when he believes he’s lost John forever. The second pinch point (Lady Smallwood coming to him) triggers his idea to reclaim his Identity by ruthlessly manipulating Janine for ‘the greater good’, i.e. the defeat of Magnussen. This personal crisis leads to the plot Crisis: Mary shoots Sherlock, Sherlock is forced to neutralize her, and in the end feels he must kill Magnussen to protect John and his unborn child, thereby making himself a murderer. I like this description of the Crisis:

 

> The Crisis is also known as the Black Moment, All Is Lost, or Second Plot Point. This is where where the character loses everything and symbolically dies. ([x](http://jamigold.com/2012/11/write-romance-get-your-beat-sheet-here/))

But why do symbolic when your character can _literally flatline_? In for a penny, in for a pound? Moving on, here’s an example of a Second Plot Point from Larry Brooks:

 

> In the movie Tombstone with Kurt Russell, a favorite of many, Wyatt Earp (Russell) and his crew are basically being run out of town by the Clanton Gang, lead by Powers Booth (who does a great bad guy).  There’s a tense goodbye as they ride away in wagons with long faces, after which the Booth sends a scruffy henchman out to finish the job.
> 
> The pace draws slack.  The lights dim, the music goes all fugue in D minor.  All is lost.  This is the pre-Second Plot Point lull.
> 
> Then, next scene at the train station, we see only the elder Earp brother on the train waving to brother Kurt standing on the platform.   But wait, wasn’t Wyatt leaving town, too?  Could it be that something is up his heroic sleeve?
> 
> The scruffy Clanton arrives with an accomplice , but Earp takes them from surprise (shooting one in cold blood, wounding the other), and informs the downed baddie that there’s a new sheriff in town – literally, I kid you not – and that the poor schlubb is to go back and tell his cronies that hell’s a comin’.  Again, literally.
> 
> ([x](http://storyfix.com/story-structure-series-8-%E2%80%93-the-second-plot-point))

Do I need to even say it? All is lost. Sherlock is going into exile and he and John have to say goodbye. It looks like they’ll be separated forever, while John is stuck with the woman who shot the love of his life. Then suddenly, Moriarty’s face appears on screens around the country. Sherlock is called back. And when Mary — who’s played at least _part_ of the role originally given to Moriarty’s right-hand Moran — nervously asks whether Moriarty is really back, John responds:

 

> JOHN _(turning and looking to his right)_ : Well, if he is ... he’d better wrap up warm.
> 
> _(Mary turns to follow his gaze.)_
> 
> JOHN: There’s an East Wind coming.
> 
> ([x](http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/68754.html))

Could anything sound more like ‘hell’s a comin’’? By the end of the Second Plot Point we and our heroes should have all the information we need to reach the climax. The only exception would be a ‘final twist’ _that’s been foreshadowed_. Given that this is a mystery that makes heavy use of clues, subtext, and foreshadowing, I suspect there _will_ be a twist — a final pinch before the climax.

Sadly, we haven’t yet had our romantic Crisis (which will revolve around _John’s_ personal issues), which means there's a lot of pain still to come. We probably won’t even have our second romantic pinch point until the plot’s Climax, given their penchant for lining up plot points between the two arcs. But now we’re getting into prediction territory, so we might as well go all out. 

 

**Predictions**

Remember that bit about the Midpoint being a preview of the end: positive for positive and negative for negative? You _could_ make the argument that _The Sign of Three_ ends with Sherlock sadly walking away from the wedding, their relationship apparently over (or at least ambiguous), therefore the romantic arc must end with them estranged or in an ambiguous situation. But if you did that, you’d have to apply the same logic to _The Reichenbach Fall_ , which ends with _John walking away from Sherlock’s grave_. Do we think Series 4 is going to end with Sherlock’s tragic death? The plot/mystery arc has to be done by the end. That’d be pretty inconvenient. But of course it won’t, because that’s not what sets the tone. It’s the pyrrhic _victory_ — Moriarty’s death at the cost of being separated, and the advancement of John and Sherlock’s emotional intimacy at the cost of, uh, being separated — that predicts a _true_ victory in the end. It’s the _successes_ that predict our end. You know, all the cute stuff from _The Sign of Three_ , all the cleverness from _Reichenbach_. This isn’t going to end with Sherlock in tragic, unrequited love with John any more than it’ll end with Sherlock six feet under. _I promise_. 

So what _will_ the climax — either climax — be? Well, it’s hard to say. It’s generally expected to be a symbolic rebirth after the Crisis [19], and a reflection to some extent of the Midpoint, as well as a point where the major exciting event and vanquishment of the antagonist happens. We haven’t had one yet, so it’s somewhat difficult to make predictions. To be clear, I’m assuming the Special will add context to _His Last Vow_ but not advance either arc in a meaningful way; it’s _possible_ it will, but that would be more difficult in terms of ideal placement of plot points, as well as awkward from a characterization perspective. Based on the history of lining up plot points in the different arcs, however, I suspect the plot Climax — the only major plot point left in the Moriarty arc, save a potential twist — will be at the end of the second episode of Series 4 (resolved at the beginning of the last/third episode), which will be a second pinch point for the romance leading into a season finale covering John’s Crisis and Second Plot Point in reflection of _His Last Vow_. Check the [graph](http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah73/archipelagoarchaea/plotarc_zpsigsqh5k1.png) if you’re confused. Since the Moriarty arc should end here, there may be a new — probably shorter — plot arc starting at the end of Series 4. _If_ this is true, then the romantic climax should, similarly, be near the end of Series 5.

If this length of time depresses you, remember what I said about the lack of a subtextual kiss in _The Sign of Three_. In a romance, the protagonist and his or her love interest can get together _at any point in the story_. Sometimes they start together, but go through a rocky relationship before reaching stability. Sometimes you get a slow burn and they don’t get together until the last sentence. Sometimes it’s the Midpoint. And sometimes, let’s just speculate, it’s the Second Plot Point — the moment when the protagonist gives a clear demonstration that they are now pursuing their goals with absolute conviction. A kiss _would_ make an excellent declaration of intent. On the other hand, having a kiss _before_ John’s Crisis (and thus retreat into Identity) would be terribly cruel, so that’s also a possibility. In truth, I have no idea when the first kiss would or should be. I used to think it was the romantic Climax, but the Climax should be a reflection of the _wedding_ — a commitment of some sort — not of a nonexistent subtextual kiss or start to a new romantic relationship [20], much the same as the _plot_ climax should involve the defeat and metaphorical or literal death of Moriarty. Of course it’s _possible_ to combine commitment and consummation. It’s just not necessary, and potentially awkward. Further implications of the story arcs so far: 

If they meant to piddle around in an extended Act II for a while — as shows often do — or simply play around with the relationship, they wouldn’t have introduced Sherlock’s Crisis or the romance’s Midpoint (which has strong connotations of, er, being halfway there), they’d have continued throwing in pinch points. Second, this implies that Moriarty is indeed still alive. The First Plot Point is supposed to set the stage for the _whole story_ , and textually the plot’s FPP revolved around Moriarty. You don’t get rid of your villain with a pinch point or even Midpoint, you get rid of them at the _Climax_. The only exception to this is if the villain were actually secretly the villain’s [dragon](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDragon), for example if Mary is indeed Moran [21] and presents an even more dangerous threat than Moriarty. Third, Moriarty will be defeated, and Sherlock will come into his Essence by the end of Series 4, but John won’t be ready for their, uh, climax yet[22]. Fourth, _there must be a resolution to the relationship arc_. Given that John and Sherlock are already best friends, that’s not the resolution. There has to be something satisfying — a transformation, a final shift from _Identity_ to _Essence_ — and ‘oh, we’re closer now and trust each other more’ is not satisfying. Nor is spending their lives together as a devoted, monogomous, but non-romantic couple, given that that’s superficially where they seemed to be in _Hounds_ and _Reichenbach_ , and given that John seems to find romance important. In other words, they’ve gone too far with the relationship to end it as platonic or even queer-platonic, even leaving aside all the romantic tropes and subtext. It’s too anticlimactic. And there’s no _reason_ to make such an anticlimactic arc to build up a platonic or queer-platonic relationship. That could have been done just as well by having their relationship follow the plot arc. Besides which, John and Sherlock have already declared their platonic love for each other, and clearly there’s something left to say on that front [23], yet the romantic arc is nowhere near over. Not to mention Sherlock is coded as [gay, not aromantic](http://archipelagoarchaea.tumblr.com/post/106877126403/the-gay-jokes-of-bbc-sherlock), and setting up his hatred of romance as something to be knocked down rather implies he’ll end up in a romantic relationship himself.  Giving him one of the women who’ve shown interest would be (a) queerbaiting and (b) _massively_ dissatisfying compared to his genuine relationship arc with John. John is preoccupied with sex and romance to the point that he goes through several girlfriends during _A Scandal in Belgravia_. He won’t be happy without it, but pulling off a romantic interest that’s less important than Sherlock would be nearly impossible without veering into misogyny. Besides, you don’t write a romantic love triangle with the current romantic partner a _clear loser_ , yet resolve it platonically; that makes no sense. We’ve also firmly established that Sherlock is heartbroken without John in 221b, and John restless and dissatisfied, so Mary wasn’t working for them even _before_ she turned villain. Mary is a goner, and she can’t just be killed off. She represents a part of John’s Identity, so John needs to visibly reject her to prove that he’s moving past it. Luckily, the show gave us a _really_ good reason for this rejection, so he won’t be blamed by the audience.

I’ve done a bit of thinking about how the mirroring might be extended into Series 4. It’s hard to predict, given that the writers can mirror whatever they want, but this is what I’ve come up with:

  
    •    Midpoint First Half (1 ep): Sherlock underestimates how much John loves him and makes a really Bad Decision (faking his death without telling John).  
    •    Midpoint Second Half (1 ep): He faces the consequences (John has ‘moved on’ and won’t move back in). He can’t properly fix anything because Mary is now in the way. (Mary wouldn’t have happened if he’d told John sooner) Hint of lull arc at end.  
    •    Lull (1 ep): Rather than telling John how he feels (granted he doesn’t completely understand yet), he tries to make up for his mistake by supporting John’s decisions (getting married to Mary). This leads to him finding out that Mary is pregnant (assuming not faked) and thus believing that John no longer needs him, precipitating Sherlock’s crisis.  
    •    Crisis (1 ep): Everything about Sherlock’s crisis revolves around John’s decision (Mary): from his regression, to his Death, to his Big Sacrifice. At the very end we’re given a Big Hint that Sherlock is about to start the final showdown against Moriarty.

  
So. Apply this to John.

  
    •    Midpoint First Half (1 ep): He underestimates how much Sherlock loves him and makes a really Bad Decision (staying with Mary).  
    •    Midpoint Second Half (1 ep): The next episode, he faces the consequences (Mary is a liar who almost murders his best friend).  He can’t properly fix anything because the baby is now in the way (baby wouldn’t have happened if he’d left Mary when Sherlock came back). Hint of lull arc at end?  
Speculation:  
    •    Lull (2 eps — longer arc): Rather than telling Sherlock how he feels, he tries to make up for his mistake by supporting Sherlock’s decision (to placate/support Mary?). Eventually, this decision to placate Mary will lead to something bad happening that makes John think Sherlock needs to / should leave him / that John is no longer needed.  
    •    Crisis (1 ep): John leaves instead (or retreats another way, not necessarily physically), precipitating his own crisis and leading to his death or ‘death’ (three Garridebs?) and big sacrifice (?). At the very end we’re given a Big Hint that John is going to face whatever is keeping him apart from Sherlock.

  
In Sherlock’s case the Lull was the rising, ‘positive’ half of John’s midpoint arc. This supports my hypothesis that Sherlock’s Climax/Resolution will be in the episode before John’s Crisis, as it would have a similar positivity, though presumably with another bittersweet ending. Additionally, it performs the massively important role of ‘fixing’ Sherlock’s character development permanently, whereas mid-arc Sherlock’s behavior is heavily dependent on John’s emotional availability and would therefore retreat along with John and not be as emotionally supportive. Sherlock’s arc resolving before John’s Crisis is _basically necessary_ to the healthy development of their relationship.

  
Note: There’s a lot of brilliant meta out there about the connection between Moriarty and Johnlock. The idea being that Moriarty is trying to ‘burn the heart out of’ Sherlock by pushing a romantic arc between Sherlock and John then ripping John away when Sherlock is at his most vulnerable. The theory is that he will fail, resulting in canon Johnlock in Series 5.

  
My problem is that my analysis seems to tie Moriarty to Sherlock, but romance to _John_ , with the implication that solving the ‘burn Sherlock’s heart out’ problem will not lead to Johnlock, but only to Sherlock being ready for it. This further implies that Moriarty will be dealt with in Series 4, but that Johnlock will be in Series 5, which begs the question of what will drive the plot between the two conclusions. And I don’t know. It wouldn’t be the first time a show got a new ‘big bad,’ but it would be surprising.

 

**Conclusion**

So there you have it. Structure isn’t just some pedantic bind upon the plot. It’s _music_. It’s a model for maintaining flow and pacing and thus heightening the emotional impact of the story. Wind the tension too high and the audience gets desensitized. Let it go too long and the audience stops caring. There are rules for how we process stories. They have no more to do with real life than meters and measures have to do with the sounds of nature. The fundamental accomplishment of art, in my opinion, is that it takes reality and repackages in a way the human mind can process more deeply. That’s what it’s _for_. So structure isn’t pointless. It’s a language. And in the language of the 3-Act dramatic structure, _Sherlock_ is telling us that this is a love story, specifically a _romance_ , and it’s a love story that will end happily.

So basically, there are only two options. Either Moffat and Gatiss will go on to make the worst, most ludicrous and offensive[24] series of writing fumbles I have ever seen on television, or John and Sherlock will be settled into a committed, _unambiguous_ romantic relationship by the end of Series 5/beginning of Series 6. Either they’re _complete idiots_ who somehow managed to write half a romance — complex structure, _mirroring of the Moriarty arc,_ and all — by _accident_ and decided not to follow through, or they’re lying geniuses who admit they lie constantly. I predict the latter.

* * *

[1] Don’t worry. Sherlock’s essence is still impatient, snarky, arrogant, and everything else we love about him. He’s just leaving behind the faux-sociopath.

[2] That’s _twice_ she’s made John’s mortal danger about her (the ‘I’m flattered’ because Sherlock figured out her code being the first). It’s unlikely Sherlock finds this charming.

[3] The bench scene in _The Sign of Three_ , when John tries to tell him that he’s one of two people who’ve turned John’s life around, in case you don’t have the show memorized.

[4] Molly seems to love him, but she’s never been exposed to the extent that John is, so it’s unclear how well she knows him. And when they interact as friends it tends to be awkward and stilted. Lestrade cares in a distant, avuncular way, Mrs Hudson is a mother figure, and everyone else is family. Irene only cares for his brain — the heart is something to be manipulated and mocked.

[5] Note that I, personally, don’t think he planned this from the start. It was likely a spontaneous reaction to realizing that it was a perfect opportunity to find out what John really felt.

[6] Though not _guaranteed_ , given the skill.

[7] Part of me suspects I stole this phrase from LSiT, but I’m not sure.

[8] JOHN: He’s writing sad music; doesn’t eat; barely talks – only to correct the television.

_(He walks further into the room and finally a figure begins to step out of the shadows at the other end.)_

JOHN: I’d say he was heartbroken but, er, well, he’s Sherlock. **He does all that anyw...**

[9] In case you’re not familiar, ‘confirmed bachelor’ is an old euphemism for a closeted gay man. Technically it’s the male version of ‘old maid’, but say it with a nudge and a wink (as the papers do) and everyone would know what you meant.

[10] Even if you don’t think Moriarty is genuinely interested in Sherlock, his ‘Jim from IT’ persona definitely _was_.

[11] And no, he wasn’t trying to impress Irene (at least not primarily). Watch his face. He’s _clearly_ focused on John during his deduction.

[12] I have to credit [couldntpossiblycomment](http://tmblr.co/mP1iJL9RNxRVUcAxEVULXvQ) for this, ‘cause I actually missed it the first time I wrote this section. What else did I miss?

[13] Our _characters_ don’t know that compromise isn’t the goal.

[14] This isn’t just an assumption I’m making based on Sherlock’s behavior. It’s heavily implied by the foreshadowing/parallels:

MRS HUDSON: My best friend, Margaret – she was my chief bridesmaid.

_(Putting his cup down on the table beside him, Sherlock rolls his eyes.)_

MRS HUDSON: We were going to be best friends forever, we always said that; but I hardly saw her after that.

[15] I mean, this is actually sort of embarrassing:

SHERLOCK _(French accent)_ : Like a gaze from a crowd of strangers ...

_(Mary pulls a face at John.)_

SHERLOCK _(French accent)_ : ... suddenly one is aware of staring into ze face of an old friend.

_(He takes off his glasses.)_

JOHN: No, look, seriously ... _(he finally lifts his gaze to meet the waiter’s eyes)_ ... could you just ...

_(His face drops. His entire body jolts and he stares with an expression of utter disbelief.)_

SHERLOCK _(in his normal accent)_ : Interesting thing, a tuxedo. Lends distinction to friends, and anonymity to waiters.

And later:

SHERLOCK: You _have_ missed this. Admit it. The thrill of the chase, the blood pumping through your veins, just the two of us against the rest of the world ...

[16] (a) I did not pick them for this purpose. I only discover this after I’d already copy-pasted the quotes. Then I cackled, because _seriously_?

(b) I don’t think they were planned this way. I think the writers just love to make call-backs, especially when the timing is appropriate.

[17] The ‘dummy’ in the ‘empty house[s]’ is straight out of Conan Doyle’s _The Empty House_.

[18] The bit before the starting credits, remember.

[19] Friendly reminder that a tragedy doesn’t have a crisis, it has a _hope spot_. Example of a hope spot: John and Sherlock are getting along well with each other and with Mary, the fetus seems healthy, and they’ve got it all figured out. Their relationships are balanced. They’re completely happy with their lives. Then, at the very end, pregnant Mary is shot. We won’t know what happened until the next episode, when Act III begins. Make sense? It’s a flip of what we actually got.

[20] Even Tessa didn’t mention kissing.

[21] The Moran figure, technically. I don’t think anyone expects her real name to _literally_ be Moran.

[22] It’s not my fault this sounds dirty.

[23] Don’t forget these unfinished parallels:

ELLA’S OFFICE. As the rain continues to pour down, John gazes blankly at his therapist.

ELLA: There’s stuff that you wanted to say ...

_(John opens his mouth briefly but then closes it.)_

ELLA: ... but didn’t say it.

JOHN _(his voice breaking)_ : Yeah.

ELLA: Say it now.

JOHN _(tearfully)_ : No. _(He shakes his head.)_ Sorry. I can’t.

and

SHERLOCK: John, there’s something ... I should say; I-I’ve meant to say always and then never have. Since it’s unlikely we’ll ever meet again, I might as well say it now.

[24] Literally offensive — I’m talking massive queer-baiting here.


	2. Post– The Abominable Bride Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Additional thoughts and predictions based on my impressions of The Abominable Bride. (The first chapter was written before it aired.)

**The negative** : I wish I’d been a little broader about exceptions to Jim Moriarty being alive, because I do think TAB was saying he’s dead for certain. Having said that, I think TAB also implied that Moriarty was dying of natural causes in TRF, and that he has his allies or minions continuing his plans from beyond the grave. In other words, he’s still the undefeated antagonist. He’s just… dead. Moriarty is exactly the kind of egotistical villain who’d want his legacy to live on long after his death, so it does make sense.

**The positive** : everything else. TAB followed my character analysis almost point-by-point, and even some of my structural analysis. It used some of the same illustrating quotes and some of the same themes as I did. It even had Sherlock throw away the hat I associated with Identity. The ending, with Sherlock literally grappling with his inner demons and fears in the form of Moriarty, then being rescued by John, is practically a metaphorical romance arc all by itself. Basically, TAB gave us a peek into Sherlock’s mind so we could see that whole Crisis-to-Climax internal struggle explicitly. The plot climax is still to come, but I think TAB is how we know Sherlock has the mental tools for victory. It’ll be interesting to see how differently he does and does not behave in Series 4.

**What I would add or change** : 

• HLV and TAB have already revisited the surface aspects of TRF thoroughly, so I doubt we’ll see another “death” for Sherlock, nor a fall. _Trusting_ John is likely to be the key to Sherlock’s Climax. 

• After thinking about the above, I have also come to the conclusion that Sherlock’s Climax and John’s Crisis can be combined into one episode by having John’s Crisis serve as Sherlock’s “greatest test.” This sits more comfortably than having a climax shoe-horned into the middle episode.

• Finally, I believe that Sherlock’s poor self-image—long implied but spotlighted in particular by TAB—will be important to the story. I don’t think it fits with Sherlock’s arc, though; I think it’s a perfect match for John’s.

Based on the history of John’s arc paralleling Sherlock’s, I strongly suspect that:

• The first two episodes will have John fighting harder than ever for Sherlock, but still clinging to his heteronormative safety net and failing to tell Sherlock how he feels.

• This and Mary, together with his responsibility to the baby, will lead to a devastating and seemingly insurmountable separation from Sherlock at or near the end of episode 2.

• This in turn will set him up for his episode 3 Crisis in which John will suffer more than ever before.

• He will divorce or explicitly reject Mary in episode 3 in “atonement” for marrying her in TSoT. (This is the closest parallel I could think of to Sherlock’s Fake Death–Real Death atonement arc.)

• Mary will become unambiguously antagonistic to John (probably in response to the above) and instigate the Crisis.

• Sherlock will suffer badly as a side-effect of John’s suffering.

• John will clearly prioritize Sherlock in some way at the end, but do so without properly talking about his feelings.

**My new (speculative) predictions** :  


Mary and baby probably won’t be written out immediately. They’ve been given too much influence over what John and Sherlock can or cannot do, and that influence needs to be written out in an emotionally believable way. Additionally, Moffat and Gatiss want the mainstream audience on our side, so they can’t fridge Mary nor, arguably, the baby. Instead, they’ll be given a chance to convince the audience Mary and baby need to go for the sake of the story, and that John is better off with Sherlock. Mary will be “forgiven” (whether she is or not) and return to her early S3 persona, save for being more involved in cases so she doesn’t get “bored.” Her manipulative and controlling behavior will be framed so that it’s less ambiguous to the audience; the audience will find her grating and intrusive and root for her to be written out. It’s not character derailment because she’s acting the same as she always has, but context makes her negativity clearer. Given Mary is a “psychopath,” John and Sherlock will probably be shown to be better caregivers to the baby, but the baby will interfere in their way of life and probably be put in danger. This could lead to their separation, as John is forced to go into witness protection for the baby but feels it would be selfish to ask Sherlock to come with him. Bonus: Mary’s past puts her family in danger all by itself, so John and Sherlock don’t have to be irresponsible. This will probably cover the first two episodes, along with whatever cases they investigate, which may or may not be related to to the third episode’s case. “Moriarty” will probably be a background threat Sherlock is waiting to make an appearance, much as in S1 and (again) S2.

The third episode will be the combined Crisis (John) and Climax (Sherlock). In other words, John’s Crisis will be Sherlock’s greatest test. Perhaps they’ll dip back into _The Great Game_ and have John framed for Moriarty’s crimes, or perhaps there’ll be a more complex relationship between Moriarty, Mary, and John. Regardless, John will be put through hell, for reasons related to Mary and Moriarty, and Sherlock’s trust in John will meet its ultimate test. Mary will be written out permanently (unless she’s the big bad of S5). Baby will be written out permanently or temporarily (e.g. adoption). In the end, Sherlock choosing love and trust over pure cerebral rationality will save the day as best it can be saved and prove that he has given up on “sociopathy” once and for all. In return, John will give Sherlock everything he’s capable of giving at that point. In my opinion, this means canon John/Sherlock but not a true happy ending.

[Mycroft’s involvement in any of this is uncertain, but as he symbolizes Sherlock’s repression, there’s a decent chance he’ll die or be imprisoned or otherwise “defeated.” Molly will probably be written away from her “John mirror” role—her romantic interest in Sherlock waning as John’s becomes more explicit, if it hasn’t been extinguished already. Mrs. Hudson may continue to be used as a mirror for John re: Mary, or as a “good” mirror of Mary. Harry may finally appear in this season to highlight John’s feelings or mirror Sherlock, or she might appear in S5 to give John a metaphorical slap in the face.] 

John will not be done with his own arc by the end of S4. And given how much he’ll be broken down, he won’t be anywhere near ready to give up his repression. But the end of a Crisis is meant to have a moment of hope. And given that Sherlock will have just demonstrated his love in the most spectacular way possible, it’s hard to believe John won’t be all over him; he just won’t talk about it. This, combined with Sherlock’s self-hatred, leads me to a further theory: S5 will open with John and Sherlock still together romantically, but their relationship almost totally secret.

From John’s perspective, secrecy makes perfect sense. He and Sherlock are watched closely. Rumors and gossip dog them constantly. And John will only recently have “lost” his wife and probably child (even if the latter is adopted or otherwise survives). John has been established from the very first episode as hating when people make assumptions about him. He’d certainly be leery of the public making assumptions about a relationship he holds so dear. But John is also bad at talking about “this sort of stuff” and Sherlock is a self-hating romantic. So Sherlock would read the secrecy as a sort of rejection. He’d take it as a sign he wasn’t good enough to show off to the world, but he’d also think such shame deserved and thus not worth talking about; he’d be a loving partner even through the pain so John wouldn’t realize anything was wrong. Sherlock might even think the relationship temporary—something John fell into after a difficult year or so when he had nowhere else to turn—and cling to John too desperately. Cue a season’s worth of relationship development and angst, and the impetus for John’s final steps to character growth and relative openness.

The latter “secret relationship” theory is pure speculation, but I think it’s one of my more likely theories. It’s the perfect opportunity to exploit established characterization for a series’ worth of relationship drama without having to resort to genuine betrayal or out-of-character stupidity. Additionally, I was thinking of this in terms of character arcs, but [@mild-lunacy](https://tmblr.co/m1by8C3ssqOv-Cw7ZwgFKGA) pointed out that it would be ripe for meta-commentary. In other words, why is gay Victorian Sherlock Holmes a “man out of his time”? Why did he need to be brought to modern day in an adaptation to fix all other adaptations? Committed same-sex relationships did exist at the time, after all; they were just difficult. 

The problem with being in an active same-sex relationship in the 19th century was more than just fear of prosecution. The pressure to hide feelings and relationships and to outwardly conform with the sexual norms of the time would likely have taken a deep psychological toll. A secretly romantic relationship under close public scrutiny is the closest we can get to actual Victorian Holmes/Watson on this show. And how better to cap off a five-series love story than to allow Sherlock Holmes and John Watson to finally rip off the veil of secrecy and dance in public?


End file.
